February 05, 2016
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Circulating angiopoietin may predict asthma exacerbation

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Circulating levels of angiopoietin may be a marker for asthma exacerbation, according to recent research published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

“Although circulating [angiopoietin 1] levels tended to be higher in patients with controlled asthma, [angiopoietin 2] levels were significantly lower in those with controlled asthma,” Pureun-Haneul Lee, BS, of the department of internal medicine at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital in Bucheon, Republic of Korea, and colleagues wrote. “In addition, although plasma [angiopoietin 1] levels tended to be lower in patients with exacerbated asthma, [angiopoietin 2] levels were significantly higher in those with exacerbated asthma, suggesting that circulating angiopoietins could be a useful marker of asthma exacerbation.”

Lee and colleagues analyzed 50 patients with bronchial asthma and matched them with 25 healthy control participants, measuring the angiopoietin 1 and angiopoietin 2 plasma levels in each patient with both stable and controlled asthma, according to the abstract.

In patients with bronchial asthma, Lee and colleagues found angiopoietin 1 plasma levels were 28.4 ± 4.01 pg/mg, whereas healthy control patients had angiopoietin 1 plasma levels of 21.2 ± 5.21 pg/mg. In addition, patients with bronchial asthma had angiopoietin 2 plasma levels of 23.96 ± 1.38 pg/mg, compared with 36.8 ± 4.46 pg/mg in the control group (P = .010).

“Plasma [angiopoietin 1] concentrations were correlated with the ratio of [FEV1] to forced vital capacity (FVC), and plasma [angiopoietin 2] levels were correlated with FEV1 percentage of predicted, FEV1/FVC, and total immunoglobulin E values,” Lee and colleagues wrote. “The ratio of [angiopoietin 2] to [angiopoietin 1] was correlated with FEV1 percentage of predicted and FEV1/FVC.”

Further, patients with asthma had a lower ratio of angiopoietin 2 to angiopoietin 1 plasma levels compared with control patients. Angiopoietin 1 plasma levels were mostly lower in an exacerbated, rather than stable state, whereas angiopoietin 2 plasma levels tended to be higher in an exacerbated state compared to a stable state, according to the abstract (P = .001). The researchers noted that initial eosinophil and neutrophil proportions correlated with angiopoietin 2 plasma levels, whereas blood eosinophil proportions in an exacerbated state were correlated with plasma angiopoietin 2 levels and angiopoietin 2 to angiopoietin 1 plasma level ratio. – by Jeff Craven

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.